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Title: Microwave signatures of ice hydrometeors from ground-based observations above Summit, Greenland

Journal Article · · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [4]
  1. Space Science and Engineering Center, Madison, WI (United States)
  2. Space Science and Engineering Center, Madison, WI (United States); Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States)
  3. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Science
  4. National Sever Storms Lab., Norman, OK (United States)
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Multi-instrument, ground-based measurements provide unique and comprehensive data sets of the atmosphere for a specific location over long periods of time and resulting data compliment past and existing global satellite observations. Our paper explores the effect of ice hydrometeors on ground-based, high-frequency passive microwave measurements and attempts to isolate an ice signature for summer seasons at Summit, Greenland, from 2010 to 2013. Furthermore, data from a combination of passive microwave, cloud radar, radiosonde, and ceilometer were examined to isolate the ice signature at microwave wavelengths. By limiting the study to a cloud liquid water path of 40 g m-2 or less, the cloud radar can identify cases where the precipitation was dominated by ice. These cases were examined using liquid water and gas microwave absorption models, and brightness temperatures were calculated for the high-frequency microwave channels: 90, 150, and 225GHz. By comparing the measured brightness temperatures from the microwave radiometers and the calculated brightness temperature using only gas and liquid contributions, any residual brightness temperature difference is due to emission and scattering of microwave radiation from the ice hydrometeors in the column. The ice signature in the 90, 150, and 225 GHz channels for the Summit Station summer months was isolated. Then, this measured ice signature was compared to an equivalent brightness temperature difference calculated with a radiative transfer model including microwave single-scattering properties for several ice habits. Furthermore, initial model results compare well against the 4 years of summer season isolated ice signature in the high-frequency microwave channels.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Space Science and Engineering Center
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Grant/Contract Number:
PLR1304544; PLR1355654; PLR1303879; NNX12AQ76G; NNX13AG47G
OSTI ID:
1375405
Journal Information:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online), Vol. 16, Issue 7; ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
European Geosciences UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (6)

Measurements of Tropospheric Ice Clouds with a Ground-based CMB Polarization Experiment, POLARBEAR journal January 2019
Precipitation regimes over central Greenland inferred from 5 years of ICECAPS observations journal January 2018
Improved cloud-phase determination of low-level liquid and mixed-phase clouds by enhanced polarimetric lidar journal January 2018
Precipitation regimes over central Greenland inferred from 5 years of ICECAPS observations journal November 2017
Measurements of tropospheric ice clouds with a ground-based CMB polarization experiment, POLARBEAR text January 2018
Surface energy budget responses to radiative forcing at Summit, Greenland journal January 2017

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